GenCorp Recognizes Employee Innovations With Presentation of 1997 Technology Awards
18 March 1998
GenCorp Recognizes Employee Innovations With Presentation of 1997 Technology Awards
FAIRLAWN, Ohio, March 18 -- GenCorp announced and
honored the recipients of its 1997 Technology Awards at ceremonies in Akron,
Ohio March 17th. This annual award program recognizes exemplary technology-
based contributions by top scientists and technical and product development
people across the Company.
"Our award categories and selection criteria are aligned with key
behaviors and outcomes that we want to reinforce within GenCorp to deliver on
our top priorities of operational excellence and value-creating growth," said
Nathaniel Mass, Sr. Vice President of Strategic Growth. "This year's
recipients exemplify our focus on market-driven products, leading edge
technologies that support rapid commercialization, continuous improvement and
a culture based on cross-functional teaming to deliver business impact. These
technical advancements will create powerful competitive advantages that both
enrich and help to fulfill our key business strategies."
Technology innovations support activities in a number of end use markets
including paper coatings, tire cord adhesives, film laminates, satellite
sensor systems, smart munitions and environmental remediation.
Recipients hail from across GenCorp, including Corporate Technology in
Akron, Ohio; Specialty Polymers in Mogadore and Akron, Ohio; Decorative &
Building Products in Auburn, Pennsylvania; and Aerojet in Azusa and
Sacramento, California.
Categories, titles of technical innovations and recipients are as follows:
Category: Key Enabling Innovation
1) Multiple Pintle Nozzle Control System
WHO: Aerojet employees: Russ Carlson, Kevin Peterson, Joe Morris,
Ed Reich
WHAT: This team combined several diverse technologies to develop a
solid propellant divert thruster system with multiple mission capabilities for
smart munitions, interceptors and crew escape (ejection seat) systems. It is
superior to current systems in terms of performance, versatility and weight.
2) Pilot Paper Coating Machine
WHO: Specialty Polymers employees: Mark Parmentier, Dennis Philp,
Dr. Nick Triantafillopoulos
WHAT: This team led the design coordination and installation of a new,
advanced pilot paper coater at the GenCorp Technology Center. The coater
contains key technologies that will enhance Specialty Polymers' ability to
develop new products quickly to meet emerging customer needs. The machine
offers testing under paper mill operating conditions, enabling new product
innovations and saving customers the risk of costly mill trials.
Category: Continuous Innovation
3) Treatment of Perchlorate-Impacted Groundwater
WHO: Aerojet employee: Craig Fegan
WHAT: Fegan oversaw efforts to successfully apply biological treatment
technology to the removal of perchlorate from groundwater at GenCorp Aerojet's
Sacramento site and achieved significantly lower effluent concentrations.
This technology has been acknowledged by the regulatory agencies as one of the
most cost effective and technically feasible methods for treatment of
perchlorate in groundwater.
4) Tire Cord Adhesive Having Improved Stability
WHO: GenCorp Corporate Technology employee: Dr. John Beres
Specialty Polymers employees: Norm Porter, Steve Waisala
WHAT: This team developed a vinyl pyridine latex with improved stability
for use as a tire cord adhesive. A new stabilizing ingredient and revised
storage parameters resulted in a product that has opened up global export
demand for this product.
Category: Marketing -Technology Innovation
5) SBIRS Signal Processor Demonstrator
WHO: Aerojet employees: David Mitchell, Hwa Shin
WHAT: This team designed and demonstrated a complex space surveillance
signal processing technique with the ability to separate out closely spaced
targets in a scene as well as identify faint targets buried in heavy
background noise. The innovation contributed directly to the Space Based
Infrared System (SBIRS) contract award to the Lockheed Martin contractor team
of which Aerojet is a member.
Category: New Product Development/Commercialization
6) Wraparound Metalized Ceramic Interconnect Boards
WHO: Aerojet employees: Kenneth Giddens, Thomas Odom
WHAT: Innovative processes and ingenious tooling resulted in a method for
producing robust, superior quality wraparound metalized ceramic interconnect
boards (ICBs) which were needed on an emergency basis to maintain production
of an important sensor system. The Aerojet team spent only eight weeks on
process development while upgrading product yields.
Category: Core Competence Building
7) DPZ Coating
WHO: Decorative & Building Products employee: Mike Easterling
WHAT: Easterling led a team that formulated an advanced coating and
revised the product application process for coated vinyl veneer that is
thermoformed to fiberboard parts used in construction. The product has
improved scratch and mar resistance, enhancing GenCorp's leading position in
this marketplace.
GenCorp is a market-driven, technology based manufacturer with leading
positions in numerous polymer product markets as well as the aerospace and
defense and automotive industries.
SOURCE GenCorp
